School of Sustainable Design Engineering - Career Pathways for graduates

Universities that offer Engineering degrees typically focus on traditional disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, chemical, or civil. UPEI offers the first accredited sustainable design engineering program in Canada.

The first cohort of seven students graduated in May 2017. Currently, 238 students are enrolled in the program. It is projected that 17 will graduate in 2018. The first Masters of Sustainable Design Engineering students will graduate in May 2018, and an interdisciplinary PhD program is also in the works.

In June 2017, the program was accredited by Engineers Canada. In August 2017, UPEI’s first Iron Ring ceremony was held. The iron ring represents the engineer’s obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct.

UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering (SSDE) recognizes that engineering affects many aspects of society, and therefore students are exposed to a wide scope of knowledge and skills in engineering science, natural science, mathematics, and complementary studies. They are actively engaged in the engineering profession by being connected to industry from day one.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering degree program is unique, providing students with real-life work experience on community and industry-based projects in every semester of the program.

In first year, students work on projects broadly based on finding sustainable solutions to problems caused by such issues as climate change.

In second year, the projects are more focused. For example, some second-year students were involved in a project with Raspberry Point Oysters to design an oyster cage flipper.

Students in the third and fourth years of the program enhance their technical knowledge by choosing course electives in one of three engineering focus areas: mechatronics, sustainable energy, or bioresources. These students work on more complex design projects with industry partners, generally focusing on designing a solution to a problem in a complex system.

To complement the design project experience, SSDE staff work with community and industry partners to identify student job opportunities. These jobs typically run from May to August. If an organization has a longer-term job opportunity, students can also defer a year of study to work for an extended 16-month period.

Employers generally have a preference for students who have completed the third year of the program. However, students finishing the second and first year of the program have also had some success in gaining engineering experience in industry during the summer months.

“Perishable skills include an engineering knowledge base, problem analysis, investigation, and the use of engineering tools. These skills need to be updated regularly.

“Permanent skills include working as a team and individually, communication, professionalism, ethics and equity, knowledge of engineering’s impact on the environment and society, economics and project management, and lifelong learning.”

“Graduates have a broad set of skills which are attractive to small, medium, and large enterprises. We anticipate that the businesses which partner with our students in design projects will hire graduates in roles such as product/process design, sales, and operations.

“Graduates could also go on to further studies in Engineering, take professional degrees in law or medicine, or explore entrepreneurship.”

4th Year student gives her account of her school experience

Haley Butler

Haley Butler says when she was in high school she really didn’t know what was involved in Engineering as a career choice. “A big part of my volunteer efforts at the school is working with junior high and with high school girls to make them aware of this career at a younger age.

“When I was in high school, someone visited to tell us about Engineering. I was always interested in math and sciences, but I didn’t have any interest in doing a traditional science degree. Engineering gave me more options that suited my interest.”

After her first year, she knew she was hooked. “I was very surprised how much creativity and practical application there is in engineering. It is all about problem solving.

“After my second year at UPEI, I planned to go to Dalhousie to take the Environmental Engineering stream, but then it was announced a degree program was starting here.

“I am very happy I was able to continue my studies here, and that I got to stay on PEI. I was able to work part-time to finance my studies. I am not taking a full course load so that I can manage financially, and now I have no debt and less stress.

“This past summer, I did research with Dr. Ali Ahmad in the Atlantic Bio Fabrication Lab. He offered me the job after taking his Bio Materials course. I produced all-natural biodegradable plastics made from potato starch. Recently, I made 3-D printing filaments out of the same material, and soon I will move into the actual 3-D printing of products. I am continuing to do the research with him until the end of the school year.”

The school’s 3-D printer is the only one of its caliber in the Maritimes. Students have access to the latest state-of-the-art equipment, professors with up-to-date knowledge, and the National Research Council centre, which is next door.

Haley’s design project this year took her to Pakistan to work with the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad for a week in October.

“We are working with a village with no access to waste water treatment, so the community is dealing with a lot of illness. I will meet with members of the community to understand the nature of their situation and take lots of pictures. The problem is a lack of education around water sanitation. We will be working on a plan that will integrate well into their culture.

“After I graduate, I am thinking about doing my Masters with Dr. Ali Ahmad and continuing with the research. He has many connections around the world, so I am thinking about going to places such as Germany to get further training in labs. I know there would be funding sources I could look into if I pursue my Masters.”

Some projects showcased during the SSED Industry Engagement Day

The world is their oyster. A team of SSED students has engineered a solution for oyster growers and producers. Jordan Sampson, Brett McDermott, and Dylan MacIsaac designed equipment that flips oyster cages, a task that is now done manually. The students plan to incorporate their company and refine their design to develop a production version. The students will graduate with a degree, an invention to their name, and a business. For more information, visit www.upei.ca/communications/news/2017/10/ssde-students-flip-oyster-problem-business-opportunity.

Justin Perry, Tyler Gallant and Anthony Van Beek, technicians from the School of Sustainable Design Engineering at UPEI, built a customized wheelchair for a two-and-a-half-year-old girl from Summerside. With Ellis Ferrish are her brothers Jonah and Nolan and her parents Lori and Trent.

Brandon Forbes of Campbell Lea law firm in Charlottetown spoke at a three-day Community Youth Justice Camp in August for youth ages 12 to 15.

Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA) hosted the event, where 20 campers gathered in Charlottetown to play games, go on tours, and hear presentations from lawyers, the MCPEI Indigenous Justice Program, and the PEI Human Rights Commission.

Brandon has been a lawyer for 10 years. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UPEI. Then he made a career decision. “My roommate was studying for the LSAT (the standard law school entrance exam) and I was inspired by him to consider law as a career,” he says. “Also, several people who I looked up to told me I should go to law school.”

He earned his law degree at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Brandon’s specialties are civil litigation, criminal law, and property law.

Choosing a career in law

“This camp was an excellent opportunity for youth to learn about the law profession,” says Brandon. “Anyone interested in a career in law should go to court and sit in the public gallery. By watching a trial in progress, you’ll see if law is a good fit for you.”

Hands-on experience

Nick Peardon, left, summer student with the Human Rights Commission, meets with several campers from Community Youth Justice Camp, put on by Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA).

The camp included participation in a mock Indigenous sentencing circle and tours of the police station and the courthouse in Charlottetown. The youth even held a mock trial at the courthouse.

“The mock trial went really well. The participants prepared for it throughout the camp,” says Eliza MacLauchlan of CLIA. “Everyone took on a role in the court as theCrown and defence lawyers, witnesses, court services officer, member of the press or the court clerk.”

The law profession on PEI

The Law Society of PEI’s statistics from 2015 on the law profession on PEI:

Number of practicing lawyers: 236

Total number of lawyers: 324 (includes non-practicing or retired)

Number of male: 180

Number of female: 144

Law firms: 40 (21 percent of lawyers work in small firms having 1 to 4 lawyers and 55 percent work in larger firms)

Lawyers begin by earning an undergraduate university degree, followed by attendance at a school of law to earn a law degree.

This is followed by 12 months as an Articled Clerk for an established lawyer (much like an apprenticeship).

After the student has passed the Bar Admissions examination, they are admitted to the Bar as a Practicing Member of the Law Society and can work as a lawyer in the province.

For more information about The Law Society of PEI, visit www.lawsocietypei.ca. For more information about Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA), visit www.cliapei.ca.

October Issue
Page 7by Stacy Dunn

Accountants

Chartered Accountants, Certified Management Accountants, and Certified Accountants are in the process of merging on PEI and across Canada.

About 525 people work in these professions on PEI.

For more information, call 902-894-4290. Chartered Professional Accountants of Prince Edward Island. www.cpapei.ca.

Architectural services

About 26 Architects are employed at about eight PEI architectural firms on PEI.

The closest school is Dalhousie University School of Architecture. Students need at least two
years of university in any discipline before applying to a school of architecture. After completing the four-year program, graduates work under the supervision of a registered architect for three years, and then write professional exams.

For more information, visit the Architects Association of PEI: www.aapei.com.

Engineers Education Options

by Heidi Riley

Sandy Doucette and Tyler Gallant.

The new UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering celebrated its grand opening in the summer of 2016.

Before the new school was built, engineering students took two years of the program at UPEI, and finished their studies at another university. Now, students can complete the entire four-year program at UPEI.

About 185 students are enrolled in the program this fall, 100 of which are first-year students.

Sandy Doucette and Tyler Gallant are recently hired Lab Technicians at the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering at UPEI. Tyler was an engineering student at UPEI from 2008 to 2011. He completed his mechanical engineering degree at Dalhousie University. He went to the University of Waterloo to complete his Masters degree, focusing on wind energy. He moved back to PEI to work on his thesis part-time, and then got the job at UPEI. As a Lab Technician, Tyler is responsible for supporting students in the mechanics and materials teaching labs.

Some features of the new School of Sustainable Design Engineering

Mechanics and Materials Lab is used for testing materials.

Thermofluids Lab studies processes such as the effect of heat on materials, heat transfer, and fluid flow.

SDU Engineering 1954 Lecture Hall can be divided into two classrooms, each accommodating about 100 students

Robotics and Industrial Automation Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art robots.

Bioresources and Food Processing Lab will support projects such as the conversion of low value biomass to high value bioproducts.

Sustainable Energy Lab will have infrastructure for studying energy generation from renewable sources and energy storage.

Sensors, Optics, and Imaging Lab will have equipment for investigating the use of sensors in applications such as food sorting systems.

Advanced Manufacturing-Machining Lab is fitted with machining equipment such as a CNC machine.

Wood Manufacturing Shop has machines for cutting and shaping wood.

Clinic bays and a Project Assembly Lab equipped such items as tools, compressed air, and exhaust hoods for students to work on individual or group projects.

Project ideation rooms are equipped with desks, large monitors, and creative drawing walls.

In many areas of the school, the building has windows which allow a view into the structure inside the walls.

The building features a green roof and will be the site of future wind power and solar power projects.

The building is equipped with energy efficient LED lights which operate when sensors detect motion.

Hiring needs in the industry

Engineering students Peter Doiron (third year), and Andrew Simmons, (fourth year), hold objects created with a 3-D printer. “The new building has a lot of space and state-of-the-art equipment,” says Andrew.

Engineering students Peter Doiron (third year), and Andrew Simmons, (fourth year), hold objects created with a 3-D printer. “The new building has a lot of space and state-of-the-art equipment,” says Andrew.

He chose engineering after starting in biology. “I found biology involved too much memorizing, and I had friends in engineering who were working on very cool projects. Engineering gives students a free rein for their creativity. We can come up with a concept and try to make it work. If it breaks, we fix it and learn what works and what doesn’t. So far, my engineering studies are fairly broad, so I am trying to network with different engineering companies to see where I may fit in.”

“In high school, I liked physics and chemistry, and engineering suits my interests,” says Peter Doiron. “I like building things, doing projects with people, and researching different ideas.”

Women in engineering

About 16 percent of engineering students at UPEI are women.

“PEI is leading the country in terms of percentage of newly licensed engineers who are female – it is about 25 percent,” says Kaaren May, Director of Industry Research at the School of Engineering and Sustainable Design. “The goal of Engineers Canada is to get to 30 percent by 2030 across Canada; right now, only 17 percent of newly licensed engineers are women. Engineers PEI are working on initiatives to increase the number of female engineers on PEI. There are two female faculty members at the school, and more are being interviewed.”

Karen is originally from Newfoundland, earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering at Imperial College London, worked in industry doing research and development in the UK, did her MBA in France, and came back to Canada in 2010. This May, she was hired to work at UPEI. “This new school is really focused on industry, and I want to help foster those connections.”

Effective human resource management is one of the most critical factors leading to the success of an organization and to the economic growth of PEI. Our people are our greatest resource.

In September 2017, the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Association of Prince Edward Island (CPHR PEI), a newly formed not-for-profit corporation, was officially launched.

The Association is the exclusive granting body on PEI of the nationally recognized Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation, which is the leading standard for HR professionals in Canada.

Individuals carrying this designation are on par with other leading professional groups including accountants, engineers, and lawyers. The CPHR Competency Framework outlines 44 professional competencies organized in nine functional areas of knowledge that individuals must know to earn their designation.

Continuing professional development is a requirement for all professionals, further demonstrating the commitment toward staying current with leading practices and the ethical management of today’s human capital.

Our members make a significant impact across all sectors on PEI. Members include CEOs, VPs, Directors of HR, HR Generalists, HR Advisors, Consultants, educators, students, and small-business owners.

At this time, our Board is focused on building the membership, providing professional development opportunities, engaging with those working in the field of human resources, and building the human resources community here on PEI.

Membership with CPHR PEI is open to all individuals who work, or have an interest, in the field of human resource management.

This project is one of 11 national finalists in Samsung’s Solve For Tomorrow contest.

The website, created by the students, lists jobs related to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, and Math. Details include:

Average salary

Education required

Skills required

Job availability

Typical day on the job

To find that information, students investigated sources such as Service Canada, Statistics Canada, Holland College, and UPEI.

The website also features brain games meant to spark interest in those careers. “We want to instill a greater interest in youth about science careers,” says Patricia Shields, IB Teacher Advisor.

“The challenge is to show youth how they can study and work on PEI. We also want to show the potential that more local STEM companies can attract a larger workforce here. Along with introducing the website, the class also hosted a day of science experiments with junior high kids.”

As a finalist, the school will be given new technology worth $20,000. The top two winners get $50,000 and will be featured in a video with YouTube stars Mitch Moffitt and Greg Brown of AsapScience.

Students’ career choices

“Both UPEI and Holland College offer good STEM courses, and it’s great that Atlantic Veterinary College is nearby,” says Tristan. “It’s good to see these programs are attracting international students who may choose to stay to work on PEI.” She is thinking of being either a veterinarian or pursuing a career in chemistry or biology. “I like to keep my options open.”

“I’m thinking about either biology or chemistry,” Clair says. “I like chemistry because I enjoy seeing how materials react when they are mixed together.”

“At first, I wanted to be a vet because I’m interested in animal health,” Asia says. “Now I’m getting more interested in human health. I see cancer as a huge problem and I’m thinking of a career in radiation therapy.”

Grace MacFadyen, grade seven student at East Wiltshire Intermediate School, recently participated in the Science Fair. “So far this year, we have studied animal and plant cells and we have lab work which I really like,” says Grace. “I see science in my future, maybe as a researcher or scientist or doctor. I want to see how our everyday products lead to bad chemicals in your body. In the olden days people used home remedies and I want to go back to that.”

Engineers Education Options on PEI

The new UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering celebrated its grand opening in the summer of 2016. About 190 students enrolled in the program this fall, 100 of which are first-year students.

Before the new school opened, engineering students took two years of the program at UPEI, and finished their studies at another university. Now, students can complete the entire four-year program at UPEI.

About 16 percent of engineering students at UPEI are women. “PEI is leading the country in terms of percentage of newly licensed engineers who are female – it is about 25 percent,” says Kaaren May, Director of Industry Research at the School of Engineering and Sustainable Design.

Upcoming Events

The Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) is offering free tax preparation clinics where volunteers complete tax returns for eligible individuals. You may be eligible if you have a modest income and... [Read More...]

The Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) is offering free tax preparation clinics where volunteers complete tax returns for eligible individuals. You may be eligible if you have a modest income and... [Read More...]

O’Leary Career Bridges is hosting an information session, for the upcoming spring program scheduled to begin on April 3rd, at the office on Tuesday, March 20th @ 10am. If you or someone you know would... [Read More...]

O’Leary Career Bridges is hosting an information session, for the upcoming spring program scheduled to begin on April 3rd, at the office on Tuesday, March 20th at 10 am. If you or someone you know... [Read More...]